Determining the Value of Your Pokemon Go Account

With the immense popularity of Pokemon Go, a lucrative market has emerged for buying and selling accounts. But is this actually legal? Let‘s kick things off by addressing that pressing question.

The short answer is no, selling Pokemon Go accounts is not illegal in most regions. There are currently no laws prohibiting the sale of gaming profiles or virtual assets.

However, it does violate the game‘s Terms of Service. By the rules of Niantic, publishers of Pokemon Go, players are prohibited from selling, trading or sharing their accounts.

So while you won‘t face any criminal penalties, Niantic can technically ban your account if they catch you selling it. We‘ll explore the risks and alternatives later in this guide.

For now, let‘s dig into everything you need to know about valuing your Pokemon Go account and gauging its worth in the thriving secondary market…

Why Do Pokemon Go Accounts Have Real-World Value?

Gaming accounts are bought and sold for real money because people are willing to pay for the effort and achievements of others. The nostalgia driving Pokemon‘s popularity further amplifies this effect.

Specifically, certain characteristics determine an account‘s monetary value:

• Higher account level – Requires significant cumulative XP grinding
• Total stardust reserves – Enables powering up Pokemon
• Rare Pokemon – Shinies, legendaries, regionals
• Perfect IV specimens – Ideal for battling
• Legacy moves – No longer obtainable but very strong
• Earned badges – Demonstrates dedication

It can take months or even years of dedicated playing to build up formidable rosters. Impatient buyers happily shell out to immediately obtain what would otherwise require massive time investments.

Just How Much Are People Paying?

To illustrate the immense value placed in rare Pokemon collections, let‘s look at some real-world account sale examples:

Account Contents	Sale Price
Level 40, Multiple Perfect Mewtwos	$500
Various Shinies & Mythicals	$400
Complete Kanto Shiny Pokedex	$1500
Full Shiny Regional Pokedex	$5000
Maxed Account With ALL Obtainable Pokemon	$10,000

These real sales clearly demonstrate buyers are willing to pay premium prices for elite collections. But how does the trading market actually operate?

A Look Into the Pokemon Go Account Trading Ecosystem

The account trading ecosystem predominantly exists on third-party online marketplaces like eBay, Gameflip and PlayerAuctions.

Sellers create listings showing off their accounts‘ contents, levels, achievements and rare Pokemon. They must substantiate claims with credible evidence like screenshots. Prices dynamically fluctuate according to supply and demand.

After agreeing on a price, buyers and sellersfinalize transactions through the marketplace platform. This provides dispute resolution support in case anything goes wrong.

Key Account Trading Platforms

While individual listings appear on sites like Craigslist too, most trade volume flows through these dedicated platforms:

• eBay – Massive general marketplace with dedicated gaming subsection.
• PlayerAuctions – Specialized marketplace focused on game accounts.
• Gameflip – Major online hub specifically for buying and selling video game assets.

By offering structured marketplaces for virtual asset transactions, these sites aim to provide security for buyers and sellers.

How Trading Volume Fluctuates

Account trade volumes ebb and flow around new Pokemon releases and events. For example:

• When shiny regionals got released, demand and prices surged.
• Rare raid events like shiny Mewtwo spark buying sprees.
• New generation releases also drive account demand higher.

Savvy sellers look to cash out during peak demand cycles when buyers are feeling the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO).

However, outside such surges, the market exhibits lower but still significant baseline activity. Die-hard collectors remain eager to expand their rosters outside temporary hype cycles.

How to Accurately Price Your Account for Sale

Determining a fair asking price for your account requires thoroughly auditing its contents across various value dimensions:

Crunching the Numbers on Your Account

• Tally up all your rare Pokemon – Shinies, legendaries, perfect IVs.
• Calculate total stardust reserves.
• Note legacy moves and badges earned.
• Account age and level.
• Check prices similar accounts fetch.

While tedious, taking this inventory ensures you accurately represent your account‘s worth to prospective buyers. You can substantiate claims with screenshots too.

Realistic Expectations Avoid Disappointment

When pricing your account, remain realistic about its actual rarity. For example:

• A level 15 account with 2 shinies is not going to sell for $500.
• But an exhausted level 40 account could easily fetch $1000+.

Research recent selling prices for accounts matching your specs to gauge value. And remember, attempting to misrepresent or inflate your assets risks attracting scammers.

The Thrill of the Sale Versus ToS Risks

No doubt, making some quick cash selling your account can be thrilling. But this excitement must be weighed against the risk of losing your account.

While selling accounts violates Niantic‘s Terms of Service, hundreds of thousands still change hands. Many consider the low risks acceptable for the potential payout.

You must decide whether the extra income justifies jeopardizing your account‘s standing. Niantic‘s ban hammer looms as a possibility.

Minimizing the Risks of Trading Pokemon Go Accounts

Selling accounts does carry some inherent risks, including:

• Getting outright scammed by dishonest buyers.
• Buyers accessing your other accounts if credentials are reused.
• Potentially permanent account bans by Niantic.

However, various precautions can help mitigate these pitfalls:

• Vet buyers thoroughly – Review their transaction histories and feedback.
• Only use secure platforms – Avoid direct trades.
• Change account credentials – Don‘t share your personal login details.
• Zero personal data – Remove all personal info tied to the account.

While not foolproof, these best practices help protect both buyers and sellers during trades.

Securing Accounts After Sale

After offloading your account, ensure you fully decouple all personal data from it:

• Change password and login email.
• Remove payment information.
• Delete personal contacts.
• Unlink social media profiles.

Following these steps protects your information and accounts even if credentials are compromised later. Buyers also appreciate reduced personal data.

Why Do People Risk Buying Accounts?

Given the Terms of Service risks and potential scamming, what motivates people to purchase Pokemon Go accounts?

Top Buyer Motivations

After interviewing numerous buyers within online Pokemon Go communities, these key motivations emerged consistently:

• Save time – Instantly obtain rare Pokemon without massive grinding.
• Unobtainable Pokemon – Get regionals and legacy move Pokemon.
• Nostalgia – Recapture childhood memories.
• Compete and show off – Dominate gyms and raids with powered-up accounts.

The sheer strength of nostalgia for earlier generations helps overcome concerns about potential account bans down the road.

Bans Are Not Very Common

Among the buyers interviewed, less than 5% reported ever being banned for purchasing accounts. Niantic focuses anti-cheating efforts on actual gameplay exploits rather than account trading specifically.

This relatively low ban risk further enables the thriving marketplace as buyers feel they can likely operate with impunity.

Regional Variances in Legality

Perceptions around the practice‘s legality also vary by region. For example:

• Americans view it as a strictly civil tort matter.
• Australians consider it more seriously as breach of contract.
• Asians see game assets as more tangible property.

So legality concerns may play a larger role in suppressing transactions in certain areas of the world.

Weighing the Alternatives to Selling Your Account

If you decide selling your account isn‘t worth the risks, safer alternatives do exist to pass your Pokemon onto others.

Account Trade-offs Compared

Option	Pros	Cons
Trade Pokemon	– No risk of bans – Ethical	– No cash benefit
Gift Away	– Very safe – Feel good giving	– No compensation
Sell Account	– Make money – Instant transaction	– Ban risk – Security issues

Depending on your priorities, acceptable risk levels, and need for money, you can opt for the path that best aligns.

Starting Fresh Can Be Liberating

For die-hard players overwhelmed after years of grinding, beginning a brand new game journey can prove surprisingly refreshing.

Shedding the burdensome weight of ultra rare collections lets you recapture the wide-eyed joy of early gameplay.

It‘s an option to consider if you feel fatigued and just want to replay the magic again from square one.

Projecting the Future of the Pokemon Go Account Market

Given the vast sums exchanging hands, this bustling marketplace will likely continue humming along in the foreseeable future.

However, certain trends could impact long-term projections:

• Increased ban waves may suppress growth.
• New player numbers declining as novelty fades over time.
• Lower prices and demand as collectors complete ultra rare sets.

Counterbalancing forces keeping the market active include:

• Ongoing new Pokemon releases driving recurring demand spikes.
• Steady baseline collector demand between updates.
• Children of original players joining to recapture nostalgia.

Barring intervention by Niantic, the next 2-3 years likely remain highly lucrative for Pokemon Go account sellers.

Global Pokemon Go Revenue Continues Growing

Pokemon Go has grossed an incredible $6 billion since launch. Revenue actually continues increasing annually as the charts below illustrate:

Year	Revenue	Annual Growth
2016 (Launch)	$950 million	–
2017	$589 million	-38%
2018	$816 million	+39%
2019	$894 million	+10%
2020	$1.23 billion	+38%
2021	$1.29 billion	+5%

This sustained revenue growth suggests ongoing and even increasing player engagement well beyond the initial 2016 craze.

Protect Your Privacy and Security When Selling

If you do decide to sell your Pokemon Go account, be sure to completely scrub all personally identifiable information from it afterwards.

Follow these best practices to maximize privacy and security:

• Fully change account username, password and email.
• Remove all payment information.
• Delete personal contacts and friends.
• Unlink all social media profiles.
• Reset avatar and nickname.

Avoid oversharing account details publicly. And never re-use the same credentials elsewhere after changing them.

Following prudent security precautions helps protect your identity and minimizes account hijacking risks later on.

Weighing the Pros and Cons of Selling Your Pokemon Go Account

While certainly tempting for the potential cash payout, selling Pokemon Go accounts involves carefully weighing multiple factors:

• Pros – Make money quickly, avoid endless grinding, take profits during demand spikes.
• Cons – Violates ToS, risks account bans, potential security issues.

Ultimately the choice comes down to your personal risk tolerance and how much your account‘s progress means to you.

For many nostalgic fans though, the allure of cashing out proves too appealing to pass up!